Beechcraft Super King Air: Map

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The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a
line of twin-turbopropaircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation (now the Beechcraft
Division of Hawker Beechcraft).
The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into
two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series (these models
comprising the King Air family),
Model 200 series and Model 300 series. The latter two models were
originally marketed as the "Super King
Air" family, but the "Super" was dropped in 1996.

The Super King Air family has been in continuous production since
1974, the longest production run of any civilian turboprop aircraft
in its class. It has outlasted all of its previous competitors and
as of 2007 the only other aircraft in its class is the Piaggio Avanti. As of December 2008, the
B200, B200GT and the larger
B300 are the production models. Special mission
derivative versions of these models are also available for
order.

The Beechcraft 1900 regional
airliner was derived from the Model 200 King Air.

Development

Model 200 Super King Air

1980-built Beechcraft 200 Super King
Air

The Model 200 was originally conceived as the
Model 101 in 1969, and was a development of the
Model 100 King Air. The Model 200 had essentially the same fuselage
as the Model 100, with changes to the rear fuselage to accommodate
a new T-tail (in place of the 100's conventional tail with
all-moving trimmable horizontal stabiliser) and structural changes
to allow higher maximum pressurisation. Apart from the T-tail,
other changes included Pratt & Whitney Canada
PT6A-41 engines rated at instead of the engines of the Model
A100 then in production, and a wing of increased span and extra
fuel capacity. Overall, the 200 was 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m) longer
than the A100, with wingspan 4 ft 3 in (1.29 m) greater,
containing 60 US gallons (230 l) more fuel.
Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) was increased by 1,000 lb
(450 kg). After protracted development including extensive
wind tunnel testing of the design
(especially of the T-tail which was tunnel-tested for 375 hours),
the first prototype flew for the first time on 27 October 1972; a
second prototype took to the air on 15 December the same year.
Three production aircraft were also built in 1972 and delivered to
the US Army; these three were designated Model
A100-1s by Beechcraft and were given the military
designation RU-21J; the first of some 400 T-tail
King Airs to be ordered by the US armed forces. The 200 received
civil certification in December 1973 and the first civil delivery
took place in February 1974.

In 1976 Beechcraft developed the Model 200T, a
version configured for aerial
surveying or reconnaissance. The
prototype was created by modifiying a Model 200 aircraft,
constructor's number (c/no.) BB-186; the modifications included
changes to the belly aft of the wing to allow photography with a
vertical camera, provision for a surveillance radar in a pod under
the fuselage, dome-shaped windows on the sides of the rear fuselage
to allow observation directly below the aircraft by occupants, and
a 50 US gallon (170 litre) usable capacity fuel tank on each
wingtip to increase the aircraft's range. Customers could specify
any combination of these modifications when ordering a 200T; all
200Ts were Model 200s modified at the factory and given new
constructor's numbers.

The next model to appear was the Model 200C in
1979; this version had a large cargo door on the LH side of the
rear fuselage with an airstair door similar
to the Model 200's door built into it. The door opening was
4 ft 4 in (1.33 m) high and 4 ft 4 in (1.33 m) wide,
allowing a large range of items to be loaded into the cabin. The
Model 200C found favour with many operators who fitted them out
internally as Air Ambulances. The 200C
was built from scratch rather than as a modification of the Model
200. The Model A200C military version was
developed concurrently. In 1981 a Model 200C (c/no. BL-24) was
modified as the Model 200CT, fitted with the same
wingtip fuel tanks as installed on Model 200Ts; there was only one
200CT, but it led to other aircraft after an updated version of the
Model 200 entered production.

Beechcraft B200T Super King Air

This updated and improved version was the Model
B200, which entered production in 1981. It was fitted with
PT6A-42 engines, still rated at but with improvements that resulted
in greater aircraft performance. Other changes included increased
maximum pressurisation (to 6.5 psi differential) and changes to the
cockpit layout. The Model 200C gave way to the Model
B200C the same year, with the first Model
B200T and Model B200CT being modified
from a B200 and B200C respectively the following year. Commencing
in 1984 the B200, B200C and their derivatives were fitted with a
revised landing gear retraction mechanism, actuated by hydraulic
rams powered by an electric pump installed in the LH wing. This
replaced the earlier electro-mechanical retraction system of
gearboxes, driveshafts and chains and sprockets that was a throwback to the Twin Bonanza. At the same time the
propellers fitted were changed from 3-bladed Hartzells to 3-bladed McCauleys. 47 B200Cs built
that year were delivered to the US military, with dozens more of a
similar standard ordered in subsequent years but not given official
civil model designations.

A total of 14 B200s were produced in 1989 and 1990 in a 13-seat
high density configuration with a belly cargo pod; these were
marketed by Beechcraft as a commuter airliner under the designation
Model 1300. Customers for this version included
Mesa Airlines. The propeller
installation changed again in 1992, when Beechcraft started
offering the option of having 4-bladed Hartzell or McCauley props,
or 3-bladed Hartzell props; the 3-bladed McCauleys were no longer
available. From October 1995 Beechcraft offered an updated B200
with Electronic
Flight Instrument System (EFIS) avionics, this was marketed as the "B200SE Super
King Air" (for Special Edition).
The following year the "Super" name was dropped from all marketing
and advertising. In October 2003 Beechcraft announced another
avionics upgrade for the B200, the Rockwell Collins Proline 21
suite.

The B200 remains in production, with the B200C available for order;
in January 2009 a B200 and two B200Cs were delivered to the
Royal Flying
Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS). The two B200Cs were
the first examples delivered in about three years (the most recent
B200Cs prior to this were two delivered in early 2006 for use as
air ambulances in Scotland).On 21 May
2007, during the 7th Annual European Business Aviation
Convention & Exhibition in Geneva, Hawker
Beechcraft (as the company was now known) introduced the
Model B200GT updated version of the B200.
The B200GT is fitted with a new model of PT6 engine developed
specifically for it by Pratt
& Whitney Canada; while still rated at the new PT6A-52
develops maximum power to an even higher altitude than the -42 it
replaces, thus further improving aircraft performance. The B200GT
and B200CGT with large cargo door were certified
by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) on 16 November 2007 and by the end of the
year 27 B200GTs had been delivered. Hawker Beechcraft has elected
to use new constructor's number prefixes for the B200GT and
B200CGT; B200GTs are being built with the prefix "BY" and while no
B200CGTs had been built as of December 2008, they will be delivered
with the prefix "BZ".

Military versions of the Super King Air 200

The US Army, US Air Force, US Navy, and the US Marine Corps all fly
versions of the Super King Air today. As noted above some have been
"off-the-shelf" civil versions but the majority have been
purpose-built for the military and were treated by Beechcraft and
the FAA as a separate series, the A200 series. A significant
minority of military versions are known purely by their military
designations, with no FAA model designations being assigned to
them, although they do have basically-equivalent civilian model
counterparts. The military designation varies from service to
service, but most are called C-12
Huron or UC-12. These are used for
personnel transport. The Army also operates the RC-12
Guardrail series of aircraft for military intelligence
missions.

The Canadian Air Force
(CAF) took delivery of two second-hand early-production Model 200
Super King Airs leased from Awood Air in 1990.
These were given the designation CT-145 under the
CAF's identification system and were used as multi-engine trainers,
replacing Douglas C-47. One was
subsequently returned to the lessor and a third Model 200 placed
into service in order that the two aircraft used would have the
same cockpit layout. The two aircraft were replaced by eight
civilian-operated 90 Model King Airs in 1995.

PD 290

The King Air 200 design proved to be sound, and so Beech considered
a jet-powered version in the mid-1970s. The first prototype King
Air 200 was re-engined with Pratt & Whitney Canada
JT15D turbofans in overwing nacelles. Given the designation
PD 290 (for Preliminary
Design), the aircraft was flown in this
configuration for the first time on 12 March 1975. Beech did not
pursue production, and the last flight was made on 30 September
1977. Beech later purchased the Mitsubishi MU-300
Diamond design, producing it as the Beechjet 400.

Model 300/350 Super King Air

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
LR-2

The 200 series proved so popular that Beechcraft began work on a
successor, with the Beechcraft designation Model
300 and marketed as the "Super King Air 300". The B200's
airframe was 'cleaned up' and even more powerful engines (PT6A-60A,
rated at 1050 shp) installed in redesigned cowlings (known as
"pitot cowlings" due to the reshaped engine air intakes), with MTOW
increased to 14,000 lb (6,300 kg). A Model 200 (c/no.
BB-343) was modified to develop the updated systems to be used on
the new model and flew in this configuration on 6 October 1981. The
first flight of the prototype Model 300 took place on 3 September
1983 and deliveries commenced the following year. Because not all
nations would then allow an aircraft of this type to be certified
at an MTOW greater than 12,500 lb (5,700 kg), the
Model 300LW was also developed at the same time,
limited to the lower MTOW. Nineteen examples of a special version
of the Model 300 were delivered to the FAA in 1987 and 1988. The
first two were conversions of standard Model 300s, while the
remaining 17 were purpose-built; since they were delivered the FAA
has used the fleet to check the extensive network of navaid in the USA. 200 and 300 Series
King Airs are or have been used for similar duties in several other
countries, including Australia, Germany, Hong Kong (a B200C used
for navaid calibration was the first aircraft to land at the
then-new Chek Lap Kok Airport in 1996), Sweden and Taiwan.

By 1988, Beechcraft had begun work on the replacement for the 300.
The fuselage of the 300 was stretched by nearly three feet with two
extra cabin windows on each side and winglets added to the wingtips to create the
Model B300, introduced in 1990 and initially
marketed as the "Super King Air 350". MTOW was increased again to
15,000 lb (6,750 kg); as the same regulatory situation
that led to the development of the 300LW still existed, that model
continued to be produced until 1994. Like the 200 and B200 before
it, a version with a large cargo door was developed, the
Model B300C marketed as the "Super King Air 350C".
The first deliveries of this model also took place in 1990. In 1998
the UltraQuiet Active Noise Cancelling system made by Ultra Electronics was added as standard
equipment on all B300s. In October 2003 Beechcraft announced that
it would deliver future B300 and B300C King Airs with the
Rockwell Collins Proline 21 avionics suite.

The B300 model is still in production today (now marketed simply as
the "King Air 350", the "Super" being dropped in 1996 as mentioned
earlier), while the B300C is available for order; four were built
in 2007 and Hawker Beechcraft announced on 11 November 2007 that it
would deliver five to Saudi Arabia in 2008 for use as Air
Ambulances.

On 13 June
2005 Beechcraft announced at the Paris Air Show that it was developing the "King Air 350ER" version
of the B300, an equivalent to the earlier Model 200T and B200Ts of
the 200 series. Changes include an increase of MTOW to
16,500 lb (7,430 kg), provision for surveillance
equipment in a belly pod, the landing gear of the Beechcraft 1900
to handle the increased weight and provide ground clearance for the
belly pod, and extra fuel capacity in the engine nacelles to
increase range (because of the B300s winglets it was unfeasible to
fit wingtip fuel tanks as found on the 200T and B200T). On 11
November 2007 Hawker Beechcraft announced that the 350ER had been
certified by the FAA.

In October 2008 Beechcraft announced the "King Air 350i", an
updated version with improvements to the passenger cabin. The
manufacturer claims that its noise level and overall comfort are
now competitive with those of light jets.

Military versions

One special variant B300C was built for the Swiss Air Force, with a modified belly to
allow aerial photography and a large observation window in the RH
rear fuselage; and given a c/no. with a different prefix to other
B300Cs.

Hawker Pacific in Australia purchased eight B300s
between 2003 and 2005 for lease to the Royal Australian Air Force. These
were subsequently modified as navigator trainers. Hawker Pacific later
leased another three B300s to the Australian Army, replacing B200 and B200C
Model King Airs.

The Japan Ground
Self-Defense Force operates six B300s in the reconnaissance and communications roles under
the designation LR-2. The aircraft were delivered
between 1998 and 2004 and include the last B300 built without the
Proline 21 avionics package (c/no. FL-382).

Beechcraft announced on 6 March 2007 that the Iraqi Air Force had ordered five King Air
350ERs for delivery commencing late in 2007. Hawker Beechcraft
exhibited a King Air 350ER at the 2007 Paris Air Show; and at the
Royal International Air
Tattoo the following month. Photos of the aircraft, actually a
modified 2005-built B300, show that visual features of the King Air
350ER include a belly pod, and enlarged engine nacelles compared to
the nacelles of standard B300 King Airs. Four 350ERs equipped for
ISTAR missions over Afghanistan have been
ordered for the Royal Air Force.
This variant is called the Shadow R1 in RAF
service.

Modification and upgrade programs

Numerous "after-market" modifications and upgrades are available
for 200 and 300 Series King Airs. One company offers a Wing Front
Spar Reinforcement Kit for 200 Series aircraft and a modification
to replace the electro-mechanical landing gear retraction system of
early-build aircraft with an electro-hydraulic system.

Another company offers a modification for the entire King Air line
that entails reworking and extending the entire nose to house a
baggage compartment as well as the avionics normally found in the
noses of King Air aircraft; while another offers winglets, similar
to those of the B300, for 200 series and other 300 series King
Airs.

A modification to install a Forward looking infrared camera in
an extended nose in B200 King Airs is available. Other
modifications available are to convert standard 200 Series King
Airs to configurations equivalent to the Model 1300 or Model 200C
and B200C King Airs; and to modify B300s (typically delivered with
an eight-seat corporate interior) to allow more passengers and
baggage to be carried.

Operational history

A B300 was
used as the presidential transport aircraft of Paraguay between 1991
and 1994.

On 24 June 1996, the 5,000th King Air, a Model B300, was delivered.
Less than nine years later, on 24 January 2005, the 6,000th
Beechcraft King Air, B200 c/no. BB-1884, was delivered. Beechcraft
also delivered a special 40th Anniversary King Air (which was the
400th B300 as well) in 2005; the aircraft featured ruby-coloured
exterior paint and real rubies in a special logo in the
cabin.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) is a long-term
major operator of B200 and B200C King Airs (and previously Queen
Airs and 90 series King Airs) as Air Ambulances. In all about 40
200 series King Airs have served with the RFDS. One was destroyed in a
fatal crash near Mount Gambier, South Australia on 10 December 2001 while others have been retired
and replaced by newer King Airs. As of January 2009 the RFDS
operates 34 200 series King Airs throughout Australia.

A large number of military King Airs have been retired and of
these, many have entered civil service with Law Enforcement and other
government organisations in the United States such as State Police
and Sheriff Departments; others are now being used by the Missionary Aviation
Fellowship and subsidiary organisations.

Beechcraft intended that the Super King Air would be replaced by
the Starship, a very advanced
aircraft that proved to be a commercial failure due to its inferior
performance compared to promises, and high purchase price. While
most of the Starship fleet has been scrapped, the King Air
continues to sell in healthy numbers.

Variants

In roughly chronological order, the 200 and 300 Series King Air
variants and production numbers are:

Model 200

Prototypes and initial production version, 858 built including
those converted to Model 200Ts; first prototype was converted to PD
290 jet aircraft and first three production aircraft were delivered
to US Army as Model A100-1s.

Model A200

First model purpose-built for US military (Army and Air Force),
75 built.

Model 200T

Version with removable wingtip fuel tanks similar to those
fitted to the competing Piper
Cheyenne, optional dome-shaped side windows in the rear
fuselage, and modified belly to allow aerial photography. Prototype
and subsequent aircraft converted from Model 200s and re-serialled;
23 delivered.

Model A200C

Second military model built for US Navy and USMC with cargo
door in LH rear fuselage, 90 built.

Model 200C

Civil equivalent to A200C, 36 built.

Model A200CT

Third military model, built for US Army with cargo door and
wingtip fuel tanks of Model 200T, 93 built.

Model 200CT

Civil equivalent to A200CT; one aircraft converted from Model
200C.

King Air B200

Model B200

Current baseline production model; updated version of Model
200. 1,150 built including those converted to Model B200Ts. 12
aircraft delivered as Model 1300s. Later models
were fitted with Proline 21 avionics.

Model B200C

Version of B200 with cargo door, available to order, 112 built,
47 were built for the United States Air Force as C-12Fs. Later
models were fitted with Proline 21 avionics. A total of 65 other
aircraft, similar in specification to the B200C, were built for the
US military.

Model B200T

Version of B200 similar to Model 200T; aircraft converted from
Model B200s and re-serialled. 23 delivered.

Model B200CT

Version of B200C with wingtip fuel tanks; all aircraft
converted from B200Cs and re-serialled. Eight delivered to the
Marina de Guerra del Perú and Israeli
Air Force. Another two similar aircraft were built for the Israeli
Air Force without a Beech designation.

Model 300

Two versions, the standard Model 300 with increased MTOW of
14,000 lb (6,300 kg) and the Model 300LW with MTOW limited to
12,500 lb (5,700 kg) to meet the aviation regulatory requirements
of various countries, 247 built of which 35 were Model 300LW and 19
were built specifically for the FAA for use in navaid
calibration.

B300 Super King Air 350, taken
2009

Model B300

Stretched model with two extra cabin windows each side of
forward fuselage and winglets on wingtips; in production as King
Air 350 and King Air 350ER. About 630 built as of December 2008.
Later aircraft fitted with Proline 21 avionics. One aircraft was
modified as the King Air 350ER prototype, followed by nine built as
350ERs.

Model B300C

Version of B300 with cargo door; available for order. 26 built
as of the end of 2008 including one for the Swiss Air Force with modifications for
aerial surveillance. Later aircraft fitted with Proline 21
avionics.Five aircraft were modified prior to delivery with
underwing hardpoints and delivered as
B300CERs.

Model B200GT

Updated version of B200; current civil production model. About
80 built as of December 2008.

Model B200CGT

Updated version of B200C; available for order but none built as
of December 2008.

The
ICAO designator, such as might be used in a PIREP or a flight plan, for
the various Super King Airs are BE20 (model 200), BE30 (model 300),
and B350 (model 350).

Operators

More than 6,600 aircraft of the King Air line have been delivered
and are operated by corporate, commercial, military and special
mission operations in more than 94 countries. Almost 53% of the
aircraft delivered have been from the 200/300 series family.

The son, brother, and two nieces of NASCAR team owner Rick
Hendrick were killed along with six others when their Beech 200
King Air crashed en route from Concord, N.C. to the Martinsville
speedway on October 24, 2004. The NTSB determined operator error
was to blame.

The model of aircraft used was obtained by conducting searches
of the Canadian historic civil aircraft register using
information obtained from the above-listed source as search
parameters. Note that one aircraft is listed as a Model B200 but
the serial number given is that of a Model 200. Searches conducted
2007-10-30.

In brief, this works by sampling noise inside the aircraft
through a set of microphones, processing the received audio, and
then transmitting sounds of the same frequency but exactly
out of phase
through a set of speakers. The microphones and speakers are mounted
in the aircraft interior panelling in various parts of the
cabin.

US civil aircraft register online searches, using "Beech" and "A200", and "Raytheon" and "A200", as the search
parameters; then perusing individual entries for ownership details
and conducting Google searches where necessary to establish owner
activities. Searches conducted 2007-10-24.

Unless otherwise noted, all information here is obtained from
Production Lists in the book Beechcraft - Pursuit of
Perfection and the online Production Lists available at
LAASdata.com

The Hawker Beechcraft aircraft Serial Number Lists 1945-2008
web page shows the last B200 as being c/no. BB-1998, however c/no.
BB-2008 is registered in the United States, with records
of all c/nos. between BB-1998 and BB-2008 available online.